If you don't know who Imogen Heap is by now, you're absolutely missing out. Just go to your local CD store, iTunes or whatever you use to get music and purchase her CD "Speak for Yourself." I can swear you won't be disappointed.
Immi, as she's called by her fans, played to a massive crowd last night at The Rave. The British songstress put on an hour and a half set and provided concertgoers with a life-changing experience. She mixed in stories that had to do with the songs and her music with little anecdotes about herself.
Her entrance involved rounding the entire audience led by a flashlight-wielding security guard as she opened with "I Am In Love With You." She came out on stage with her current concert outfit consisting of different shades of pink, from bubble gum pink and magenta. She wore a corset with a feathery shrug-type of sweater that tied in the back along with a flower-covered skirt that billowed out much like a can-can dancer. Her hair was piled onto her head in faux hawk fashion with pink feathers -- coordinating with her outfit, of course -- making up the mohawk part.
The stage set up included an absolutely clear grand piano that allowed people to see all the cords to her instruments and was lit up with different colored lights and adorned with large plastic roses. There were also more lights lining the back of the stage like a bridge railing and four different-sized circles that had projections that went with the songs on them.
Imogen's set consisted of 15 songs, including the three-song encore. There were songs off of "Speak" -- like "Just for Now," "Goodnight & Go" and "The Walk" -- as well as the b-side track"Speeding Cars" and "Come Here Boy" off of Imogen's 1998 debut album "I Megaphone." Which leads to one of her anecdotes of the night: How ironic it is that she is nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist. However, Immi looks on the bright side; at least she wasn't nominated for Best Has-Been.
She gave everyone a tour of all her gizmos as well. Her mirror, her parrot and her choir, besides her piano, that would help her sound like an entire orchestra with the push of a button. Throughout the show she would be building the songs electronically, making it so that the songs don't sound the same night to night and the audience was warned not to cheer at certain points, like at the beginning of "Just for Now."
Imogen let the audience know that strep throat stinks, because she's currently suffering the effects. When an audience member asked her what makes her stronger, Immi replied "Strep throat, rock on." And that she did. Despite having a slight cough in between songs, Imogen played a nearly flawless concert.
She sang a beautiful version of Frou Frou's song "Let Go" which was popularized by the "Garden State" soundtrack. She was accompanied by a bandmember on French horn, an unexpected addition that makes one wonder why there's not more French horn use in the world.
Fox's "The OC" made "Hide & Seek" Imogen's top-selling song on iTunes. It was the first song of the encore, and that strep throat got her on the highest note, but the rendition was popular with all of her fans. Plus, it's hard not to love the song's haunting lyrics and sound.
At the end of her set, she let the Milwaukee audience know that she probably won't be back for awhile, which was met by a sad audience reaction. However Imogen quickly announced that it was because she'll be in the studio making another album which got everyone cheering.
The basic consensus for the night was how adorable Immi is and how relatable she is. She did things that many artists wouldn't, like come on stage to introduce both her opening acts.
Usually the main act's openers do their thing on stage for about half an hour each and then leave, but Imogen uses her acts to her, and their, advantage.
Levi Weaver, a folk singer by way of Texas and the U.K., opened the show. It was the night for electronic equipment as used several types of loops and playbacks to create songs. Must say how much his white suspenders and how all his pieces of flair on his guitar strap were appreciated. And for those of you who didn't catch it, the pieces of flair comment is an "Office Space" reference.
Some may write Weaver off as just another emo boy, but all that he was doing onstage was very intriguing and set the audience up for the rest of the night.
He also got the audience's heartstrings with a story he told prior to playing "Del Cielo." The inspiration for the song was a car accident that gave him a couple of scars and killed his younger brother. But it was probably his best song during his portion of the show.
During Immi's set he provided guitar and one death defying act. During "Daylight Robbery" he climbed to the top of the tall speakers to rock out with those people in the balcony. But it was a little scary for those that were standing rather close to the speakers he was playing from. He happened to be rockin' out a bit too close to the edge for this reporter who happened to be one of those people.
The other opening act was another one man band. Kid Beyond happens to be an amazing beatboxer. Imogen Heap explained how she had found him and said, in her introduction, that it surprised her how much a man could do with his mouth. The comment got much of the audience giggling like grade schoolers, but it cannot be denied that what Kid Beyond was able to do during his set was astonishing.
It's difficult to even explain how great Kid Beyond's set was because it just was. He also created songs on the spot, looping certain sounds over one another and creating songs with great beats. But he's not just a beatboxer, Kid Beyond created his own back up music with the beatboxing only to sing vocals as well. It wasn't just beatboxing or singing, but a full package performance. He's an entertainer that had the audience screaming.
His cover of Portishead's "Wandering Star" was true to the original while being entirely surprising. He impersonated a harmonica that sounded like the real thing. It was hard not to move -- whether it be sway, full out dancing or head bobbing -- during his songs. Kid also told a story about a song he wrote about Marla Ruzicka, woman activist he knew that died in Iraq in 2005. He tells her story through song, Hollywood will be telling her story through a movie starring Kirsten Dunst that is yet to be named, but the message to appreciate being alive is well-received.
Kid Beyond's beatboxing also came in handy for Imogen's set. He provided beats that would have been fine as prerecorded, but were absolutely great live. He also introduced Immi to the "Jeopardy" theme song onstage while everyone waited for equipment to receive new batteries.
Together, Imogen Heap, Kid Beyond and Levi Weaver made up a triumverate that could possibly be the best concert this reviewer has ever been to and will not forget any time soon.
Originally from Des Plaines, Ill., Heather moved to Milwaukee to earn a B.A. in journalism from Marquette University. With a tongue-twisting last name like Leszczewicz, it's best to go into a career where people don't need to say your name often.
However, she's still sticking to some of her Illinoisan ways (she won't reform when it comes to things like pop, water fountain or ATM), though she's grown to enjoy her time in the Brew City.
Although her journalism career is still budding, Heather has had the chance for some once-in-a-lifetime interviews with celebrities like actor Vince Vaughn and actress Charlize Theron, director Cameron Crowe and singers Ben Kweller and Isaac Hanson of '90s brother boy band Hanson.
Heather's a self-proclaimed workaholic but loves her entertainment. She's a real television and movie fanatic, book nerd, music junkie, coffee addict and pop culture aficionado.
